There are a many varieties of microcontroller integrated circuits that are useable in power switching and power control applications. Existing microcontrollers typically involve a processor along with relatively simple general purpose input/output terminals and perhaps an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and/or a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). To use such a microcontroller in the overall power control system, some sort of power supply is generally necessary to generate a supply voltage from which power can then be used or switched under control of the microcontroller. The circuitry of the microcontroller itself also must be powered from a DC supply voltage. Often the DC supply voltage from which the microcontroller is to be powered is of a different voltage than is the supply voltage needed by other parts of the system. Design of a power supply or power supplies is therefore often part of the task of designing the overall microcontroller controlled system. The power supply is to supply power to the overall system as well as to the microcontroller circuitry.
Although engineers with backgrounds in microcontroller programming are generally capable of designing and building simple circuits that can provide power to such a microcontroller if the microcontroller is operating by itself, the skill set of such engineers generally does not include experience designing more complex switching power supplies of the types suitable for supplying power to the overall microcontroller controlled system. The skill set of such engineers also may not include knowledge of how to design the analog power interface circuitry that might be necessary to couple the microcontroller to the system being monitored or controlled. Moreover, the selection of the best microcontroller for the application can be a challenging task. Choosing a particular microcontroller or microcontroller family for use in the design of the system can be a restraining and limiting choice. If the selection of a particular microcontroller family is made, and later changes in function of the system is necessary, then the microcontroller family initially selected may not be able to satisfy the new needs of the evolving system. Time and money invested in learning about a previously selected microcontroller may be wasted if the microcontroller at the heart of the system must be changed. For these reasons and other reasons, designing and developing the overall system is less than trivial task for an average engineer in many instances. Ways to reduce the difficulties associated with designing such a microcontroller based power switching system are desired.